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CAC's CEO Tamara Carrera Announces Retirement
Tamara Carrera, who has led the Community Assistance Center since 1997, has announced that she plans to retire in the coming months. Under Carrera's leadership CAC has become widely recognized as the cornerstone emergency human services agency preventing homelessness and hunger in the Sandy Springs and Dunwoody communities. Carrera was the driving force behind CAC's growth from a small charity initially housed in a scout hut on the Mount Vernon Presbyterian campus, providing food and clothing to about 280 families a year, to the go-to assistance agency in the community serving more than 6,500 individuals a year from 3,000 households. During her tenure, Carrera built what CAC founders envisioned - a network of people, organizations and resources all focused on helping those who struggle in our community to overcome crisis situations and to achieve progress and stability. Her leadership, determination and compassion for bringing together those who want to help with those who need help will be greatly missed. Carrera plans to remain on board until a new CEO is in place. Click here to read more.
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Vintage Affair Island Getaways a Great Success!
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Debbie and Sandy Springs Council Member Andy Bauman at one of the home islands.
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CAC's Live Yet Virtual Vintage Affair was a big hit with 266 guests at 81 "home islands" across the community and raised $211,875! In the age of COVID, Vintage Affair guests came together in small groups or enjoyed the event privately at home for a fun evening in support of CAC's largest annual benefit on Saturday, October, 24. Guests connected virtually to the "Main Island" live broadcast that featured live music, Zoom check-ins and online auction fun with mobile bidding! Congratulations to raffle winners Evan and Imke Pfennig! Thank you participants, sponsors, host committee, auction item donors and volunteers for helping to make this event a great success! Funds raised at Vintage Affair go toward supporting local families seeking assistance during the COVID pandemic. Click here to read more.
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Join the Volunteer Team at CAC!
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Zach Rosing volunteering at the outdoor market.
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Volunteer at CAC and join a team of local residents who come together to help our neighbors in need. In-person and remote opportunities available! Returning and new volunteers welcome. Volunteers needed in these departments:
Food Pantry Outdoor Market
Upscale Thrift
Financial Assistance
Adult Education ESOL classes online!
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Thrift Shop is Open for Shopping and Donations!
Upscale Thrift, CAC's upscale thrift shop, is OPEN!
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Thrift shop volunteer Peggy Koch prices donations.
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Come and shop. Bring donations of gently worn clothing and home goods. Volunteer with us in the donation center or on the retail floor!
CAC Upscale Thrift
8607 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs GA 30350
Shopping Hours
Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 9:30 am-1:30 pm
(Retail store shopping hours open to clients and the public.)
Donation Hours for Clothing & Home Goods
Monday - Friday, 9:30 am-1:30 pm
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COVID-19 Assistance by the Numbers
Since mid-March CAC has distributed more than $1.3 million in rent and utility assistance, helping local families stay in their homes through the pandemic. CAC is pleased to announce a new $50,000 grant from the city of Dunwoody that will provide further COVID relief to residents experiencing job and wage loss due to the pandemic shutdown. Requests for assistance continue to be much higher than on average. While the majority of CAC clients are typically low-income earners, we are now seeing people of higher incomes seeking assistance. CAC volunteers continue to serve our neighbors with compassion during these difficult times. This is who CAC has helped through the end of September:
- 7,808 individuals from 2,704 households/families.
More than half of them are new to CAC.
CAC typically helps about 6,500 individuals a year.
- 907 households with rent assistance totaling $1,322,566!
Compared to $294,380 for all of 2019.
- 1,757 households with food, distributing 459,833 pounds of food.
Many of these households received food once a week.
- Distributed 3,583 summer lunches to families.
- Delivering food to senior citizens, medically fragile or home-bound individuals each week.
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Helpline 770-552-4015 - Online Request
Food Pantry - Upscale Thrift
8607 Roswell Rd, Sandy Springs, GA 30350 Branch Office
5 Dunwoody Park South, Bldg 5 Suite 113, Dunwoody, GA 30338 (for food only)
Mailing Address PO Box 501298, Atlanta, GA 31150
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Funding for CAC is provided in part by the City of Sandy Springs, Fulton County Human Services
and the United Way of Greater Atlanta.
The Community Assistance Center (CAC) brings together the Sandy Springs and Dunwoody communities to provide compassionate assistance to neighbors in need by providing financial support, helping to meet basic needs and promoting self-reliance. CAC works to prevent homelessness and hunger locally with the support of 28 congregations of all faiths, public and private grants, civic organizations, schools, businesses and individuals. Supporters provide financial resources, in-kind donations and volunteer manpower.
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